Hunted
by Liz08
Summary: The squeal to Singer! Moving from Forks! A new school? Another human that Edward can't read their mind! Someone getting close to finding out about the Cullens? Danger around every turn? Who ever said eternity was easy! Edward/Meg plus Cannon pairings.
1. Chapter 1

TWO DAYS TIL BREAKING DWAN

TWO DAYS TIL BREAKING DWAN!!

OK, now that I have that out of my system, my gift to you guys is…. The first chapter of Hunted! Hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 1 Unknown Enemy**

**The Cullen's Home**

**One year later**

"Go!" It wasn't a request, nor a statement, but a direct order. "Edward, please?!"

Meg was attempting to push Edward out the front door while their brothers stood on the porch snickering and their sister stood in the front room doing the same, while Carlisle and Esme were simply shaking their heads at their children.

"I think you're trying to get rid of me." Edward said in a false hurt tone leaning back on her more.

"I am! We talked about this; you need to spend _some_ time with your brothers and Carlisle! Now, go and hunt with them!" Meg said nearly pleading as she pushed him harder.

"I see them everyday. We do live in the same house, _Megara_." Edward said humor slipping into his voice.

Meg stepped back from him, honestly hoping that he'd land on the floor, but of course he knew what she had been thinking. He gracefully stood up straight again and looked down at her smiling crookedly. Meg glared up at him, arms folded.

After a few moments when neither of them moved, Carlisle looked at Alice. "We do have to go at some point today, Alice. Who wins?"

"Meg." Alice replied smiling, and then she looked at Edward. "Nothing is going to happen; we're staying here and going hunting." '_She'll be safe.'_ She added in her thoughts.

Edward finally broke at that. He brushed a strand of golden hair out of Meg's eyes. "I'll go. I'll even have fun." He promised.

"Thank you." She said hugging him. "I don't remember you being this stubborn or protective." Meg whispered to him, low enough so no one else would hear.

"A lot happens in a century." Edward replied hugging her back tightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She let go of him. "Now, go!"

He kissed her deeply, and then headed out and joined Emmett and Jasper. Once Carlisle and Esme had said good-bye, the boys were off. Meg closed the door behind them, and then slide down it.

"He'll stop doing that eventually." Alice said appearing next to her.

"Thank you." Meg said getting to her feet easily. "I just wish he'd stop acting like something is lurking around the corner, waiting to ruin everything again."

"He's just overprotective." Rosalie threw in.

"Edward just wouldn't be able to deal with losing you again, dear." Esme said reassuringly.

Meg sighed, smiling at each of them. "Nothing is going to happen; I just can't make him see that."

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

"Edward, Alice said nothing is going to happen." Jasper said firmly. He was already not in the best of moods between the odd atmosphere that he was stuck in (Edward's worry, Emmett's excitement, Carlisle's nerves, and his own slight annoyance), but his hunger was making him even more edgy.

"She has missed things before." Edward replied. "They're talking about driving down to Settle to shop."

"Oh, the horror!" Emmett said sarcastically. "Rose will have her in pink!"

Edward growled in reply.

"Boys." Carlisle said in a warning tone, glancing back at Jasper and Emmett as he drove.

"I have reason to worry." Edward said trying to justify this.

"Edward, Meg is not Bella." Carlisle told him.

"I know."

"Do you?" Emmett asked.

"Yes. I just don't want anything to happen to her." _'I won't lose her again.'_

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

Meg drew in a deep breath of cool, damp forest air. "That was fun. I hope the boys are enjoying themselves this much." She said glancing back at Alice, who was licking her lips clean.

"Oh, they are." She reassured with a smile. "He'll be letting his guard down shortly, actually letting himself enjoy everything."

"Finally!"

Esme and Rosalie were still trying to find something to their tastes, while Meg and Alice were done hunting and just waiting now. It was actually really relaxing to be out in the forest. Meg could hear the river that ran behind the house, even though it was at least five miles away, the wind as it blew threw the trees.

"Think he'll go crazy if I walk home alone?" Meg asked.

"I'll let you in on a secret." Alice smiled mischievously, then dropped her voice. "He isn't listening to you at the moment."

"And-" She started.

"I won't tell him. You need to be able to live a little. Besides, I don't see anything happening."

Meg hugged Alice. "Thank you!"

"You better head out before Esme gets back, she'll try and stop you." Alice warned, hugging her back.

A moment later, Meg had disappeared into the forest. She stopped running about two miles away from home and started walking a normal pace, for her anyways; it probably would've been a jog for a human. She looked up into the tree tops, the day was coming to a close; twilight was slowly becoming dusk and the clouds that hung over Forks had parted for just a moment, stars could be seen peering down.

Meg snapped to attention as she heard something moving just behind her. She took in another deep breath of night air, but this time it was to smell if anything was out in the forest. Another vampire, one she didn't know.

"You're smarter then the last, prettier as well." A sweet, childish female voice called out from the darkness. It reminded Meg of Jane's voice, if only the little devil would talk without the monotone. "It makes no difference though."

"Who are you? What are you talking about?" Meg demanded. She formed a bright ball of yellow electric energy in her palm just for extra safety, but she wanted to know.

"He hasn't told you?" The voice sounded shocked. Meg was able to make out a shadow moving through the trees, never staying in one spot. She began to turn with the figure's movement.

"Told me what?" More curiosity than order was bleeding through Meg's words now.

"And he had said that Edward was clever." The shadow shook its head. Meg could make out curly hair that looked tousled, perhaps even a little matted.

"How do you know Edward?"

"I'd tell you, but then that would be no fun." The female teased, nearly purred.

"Stay away from him." Meg growled dangerously. Forget her lightening, if this vampire tried to get near Edward, she'd rip her to pieces.

"Oh, I will, but you are another matter completely." There was a slight chuckle- no- a giggle was a better way to put it.

"I don't even know you…" Meg said even more confused then she had been.

"Meg!" Alice suddenly was running toward her from her right.

When she looked back at the shadow it was backing away. Meg tried to take a few steps after it, but Alice grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Tell Edward that Victoria says 'hello' for me." A moment later she had vanished completely.

"Alice, who the _hell_ is Victoria?" Meg's amber eyes were still focused on the spot where she had been, glaring.

"It's a long story…"

"I've got an eternity."

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

Edward picked up his cell phone after the first ring. "What's wrong?" He asked Alice without saying 'hello'.

She explained in as few words possible, "Victoria is in Forks."

"We're on our way home."


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so sorry that it has taken me this long to get a new chapter up, but I'm at college now (and loving it) and I've finally got some time to write in this fic (Thank God for Christmas break and no class during finals!). Please be patient with me and I promise that I'll update when I can. Thanks for your understanding and here's Chapter Two!!!

**Chapter Two ~ Explanation**

When Edward and the others finally arrived back at the house, Meg was hardly more than a blur as she paced in the living room waiting on them. Edward moved to go and stop her frantic movements, but Alice blocked his way a few feet away from her.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you…" She said, moved out of the way, going to stand next to Jasper. He was in a worst mood now that he had been pent up in the car with so much concern and annoyance that boarded on being totally pissed.

Edward turned and looked at Alice, nearly glaring. "What on earth did you tell her?!" He demanded after hearing the radical thoughts running through Meg's mind: everything from Victoria being an ex-lover that Edward had not told her about to Edward turning her by accident when he was on his little feeding off of humans' spree.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?! Couldn't you have at least reassured her?" Edward said and finished crossing the gap between himself and his wife. "Meg…?"

She stopped in front of him suddenly, small bright yellow sparks were bouncing off of her pale skin and her honey colored eyes looked hurt rather than upset. That nearly killed Edward. He now regretted not telling Meg everything that had happened during his time with Bella. If she had known about James and Victoria she would not have taken this so hard or jumped to so many false conclusions. "Well?" Her voice was almost patient if it had not had the back edge of angry and pain.

"It's a long story, but –"

"That's what Alice said." She cut in.

"It's not what you think." He finished his sentence.

"What is it then?"

At the same time, Edward turned and looked over his shoulder and Meg leaned and looked around him just in time to see the rest of their family disappear from the room. Both of them were not sure they wanted to be alone at the moment with the task at hand, but when they looked back at each other, Meg calmed down enough that her electricity was back in control. "Perhaps we should sit down?" She suggested in an awkward tone now, she was embarrassed at her own behavior. She was usually not one to jump to conclusions. Edward nodded and took her hand and led her over to the couch. Edward explained everything about Victoria, starting with the baseball game three years ago, though that felt like another life or a strange dream to him now. Meg absorbed it all in her usual way, letting it all sink in before she said anything.

"I don't see a problem, Edward." She said finally. "What could she possibly do to me?"

Edward looked down at their hands intertwined. "More than you realize."

"Does she have a talent? I really think you're blowing this out of proportion." Meg smiled gently at him, as if he was a child being foolish.

"Meg, I'm serious. Could you at least act like you're concerned about your own life?" Edward was frustrated that she was not seeing the situation for what it was.

"Edward, honestly, I can protect myself, not that you'll let me, but this is nothing to worry about." Did he think she was made of glass? Or worst, did he think she was as fragile as Bella?

"No." He said firmly in answer to her thoughts.

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

The next passed with no more sign of Meg's odd visitor and she hoped that Edward would let it drop, but Alice popped her head into Meg and Edward's bedroom after school one day while Edward was playing his piano while Meg was, of course, reading. "I can talk to you?"

"What is it, Alice?" She asked sitting up straight in her chair again and laying her book aside. Alice usually just bounced in and said whatever she wished to say; she never asked if she could talk.

"We're moving."

"Moving?! Why?!"

"I sure you can guess…"

"Edward." Meg couldn't believe he was going this far about this Victoria girl.

"Being himself."

"He was never this overprotective before." Meg sighed, leaning back into her chair. Part of her hoped that if she said that enough he would go back to the way that he used to be.

"I got to go. He knows." Alice was gone again in an instant. By the time Edward had got up the stairs to confront me, I had just barely had the time to stand up and fold my arms. _Well, he's still fast as ever._

"Before you start yelling at me, remember that we've been in Forks for a while now and it's about time for us to move on anyways. We have graduated, even you, and are… lack of aging will soon be noticed. We are already pushing it a little." Edward explained as he walked toward Meg as if she was a dangerous animal that would just as soon bite off his hand as hug him.

"And so you asked Carlisle to go ahead and uproot us all?"

"He agreed."

Meg sighed and glanced down at the floor as she thought this out. There was simply no way around this. He had told Carlisle the perfect thing and whether Carlisle realized Edward's arterial motives or not, they would be moving. "Where are we going?"

"Virginia."


	3. Chapter 3

Hello again my lovely readers! Sorry that this chapter took so long. Just as a warning I will be starting my spring semester and I have a very heavy course load, so the next chapter may be a while. BOTANY IS MURREDER! I hate having to learn about plants just so I can go to Med School. *sigh* But anyways, please enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! And don't ask about my chapter title this go around, one of my friends named it…. Here's Chapter 3!

**Chapter 3 – Honey, We're Home**

"Well?" Edward whispered in Meg's ear as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. "What do you think?" They stood in the center of their new room located on the third floor of the Cullen's new home in Virginia. It was a little more spacious than their old room had been, not that they needed it. The wall that faced the back side of the house had three very larger windows, the view was nice, but it wasn't as "open" feeling as the just glass wall had been in Forks. The carpet was an off-white rather than gold, and that Meg liked for some odd reason.

'_**Why do you ask questions you know the answer to?**_**'** Meg asked him in her thoughts.

Edward kissed her temple and chuckled softly. "You will get use to it sooner than you think." He said it more as a promise rather than anything else.

Meg turned around in Edward's arms, looking up at him no showing any real expression. "I still say all of this was unnecessary."

He sighed and dropped his arms. As far as Edward was concerned, this was a very small price to pay to insure that Meg was safe. "Would you feel better if I apologized again?" He asked, giving her the most pitiful look anyone had ever seen.

It was Meg that sighed now and buried her head in his chest. "You don't play fair. Who on Earth could possibly say no to that face?" Edward run his fingers through her blond hair and she looked back up at him smiling now. She took his hands and gently pulled him toward the large pile of boxes they had stacked in the room. "C'mon, we better get unpacked."

That night Carlisle gathered the family together in the living room. The whole house was now in proper order and looked like the Cullens had been living in it for a few weeks now rather than they had just moved in that morning. Edward, Meg, and Jasper sat on the couch while Alice was perched on the arm next to Jasper. Rosalie sat in a large chair with her legs crossed, and Emmett half leaned on its arm. Carlisle and Esme were seated on the sofa their hands intertwined.

"So… what story are we all using this time?" Rose asked to start off the 'family meeting.' She glanced at Carlisle. "Am I free to assume that Jasper and I will be keeping up are status as twins?"

He nodded. "Yes, I believe that would be best since it worked out in Forks so easily. For that matter, Edward, you and Emmett show also continue acting as siblings."

Emmett grinned. He didn't have the slightest problem of playing 'big brother' to Edward. "No problem, Carlisle. Right, little brother?" He asked winking at Edward, who nodded smiling crookedly at his thoughts.

"Are we just going to keep the same set up we had in Forks as a whole?" Alice asked. It was odd, but Carlisle seemed undecided about Meg's place in all of this, and it was starting to get on her nerves a little.

"That depends on how Meg wants to fix into all of this." Carlisle said looking at her now.

"Oh." Meg said not expecting this. "Well, as long as I don't have to act depressed again." The last thing in the world she waited at the moment was to walk around like a silent emo kid that followed Edward around like a lost puppy again.

"No, that won't be essential any longer, dear." Esme said smiling kindly at Meg.

"What Carlisle is trying to get out," Edward said. "Is that you can either continue to act as his niece or his sister, as you use to."

"Really?" Meg said looking happy at the thought. "I suppose I am more use to thinking of you as a brother."

Carlisle nodded. "It's settled then. You all are not set to start school for another three days."

"Excellent. Now that that is done," Alice said hopping off the arm of the couch, smiling brightly. "We're going to need to go hunting before we start school on Thursday." Jasper glanced down at his feet, but his eyes were still at least showing as gold whereas the rest of the family had nearly onyx colored eyes.

"Yes, a hunting trip is needed before we start actively interacting with the human population here." Carlisle said as he stood to end the meeting. "The forest behind the house of the more tame wild life, but if any of you would like to go a little further into the mountains, I see no problem with that either."

"Carlisle, you're forgetting, dear." Esme said with a sweet smile at her husband

"Oh, yes." Carlisle cleared his throat uneasily.

"Are you serious?" Edward asked before Carlisle could get the nerve to tell his 'children' and 'sister' what he had mostly forgotten on purpose.

"I'm afraid so, Edward." He looked over the younger vampires of his family. "The school you are enrolled in requires each student to belong to an extracurricular activity in order to graduate. I believe it is a part of a project to give the teens of the community something to do other than drugs after school." The look in his eyes told them that he was trying very hard to hold back a laugh.

"Extracurricular activity; what on Earth can vampires possibly do for _extracurricular activities_?!" Rosalie asked.

"Baseball?" Emmett asked with a shrug.

"No sports." Carlisle said firmly. "It will be very easy for one of you to hurt or loose control of your strength during a game. We can not risk that."

"I'm sure you will all find something that's safe and enjoyable." Esme said as she stood next to Carlisle. "You will just have to look."


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry that this chapter took me so long, but it's finally here! I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think! Oh, and to anyone just starting to read, this is the second half of Edward's and Meg's story, to get the background of their relationship you'll need to read 'Singer'. Thanks for reading!

**Chapter 4 – School, Shakespeare, and Another**

The Cullen family was of course big news in the small town, but the word of the six new students first day spread like wild fire. The mystery that hang around the pale teens, their beauty, how they seemed anti-social outside their own little group. The list went on and on and that was only after first block was over.

Edward seemed uncomfortable for the most part, and Meg could easily guess what was running through most of the girl's here minds. _I wonder what they would think if-_ "Meg that's not funny." He said firmly. "Besides, I'm used to what the girls think…" At first she had not understood his comment, but after he had glared at a pair of jock-looking guys walked by, she almost felt stupid for realizing that what the boys were thinking about her was what was causing his discomfort.

"So," She said with a slight laugh. "That's why you've been sticking very close to me." At the moment Edward had his arm around her with his hand resting on her hip, so there was no logical way that he could deny it, which was probably why he did not answer her statement. "Always over protective." She mumbled.

Meg wondered what Edward was going to do when they finally got to third block, the only class that she did not have with him. Her unasked question was answered when he walked her back to the hall that all the sophomores' lockers were on and Alice was waiting smiling brightly next to Meg's locker.

Edward smiled down at Meg smugly. "I promise that I'll stop all of this after a week or two." He kissed her forehead. "Besides, Alice did this on her own."

"Yes, and if we're late to class we're going to get a lecture on not being tardy." Alice said grabbing Meg's arm and pulling her on down the hall.

"See you at lunch!" Meg said waving back at Edward as he watched the two of them disappear into the crowd. "Have you been having a good day?" She asked looking down at Alice.

The little vampire sighed, "Not really, I've just been busy watching Jasper. You can call me paranoid, but I always worry about him when we switch schools." A gentle smile touched Alice's lips, as if she had just seen something rather pleasant in the future. As much as Meg wanted to ask what she had seen, she held back thinking that it might be something personal. "I see Shakespeare in our futures." She said a few moments later.

"I beg your pardon?" Meg asked a little confused, since they were heading to American Literature, though she did like the sound of it.

"I'll explain after class." She whispered excitedly as they entered the classroom.

Third block English was going to be so boring! Meg had already read all of the books that they were going to read in class twice, if not more! The Scarlett Letter, "The Crucible," and an assortment of poems from Emily Dickenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and several other American poets were the main reading material. It wasn't that she didn't love all of these works, but she honestly wanted to be in school to learn since this was her first time ever being in a real school. Carlisle had taught her to read and write, and after that her want for knowledge was all but unstoppable. Sadly, she was starting to think that there was nothing that she could learn in a human high school that she hadn't already read about in the vast library back in Volterra; still she was happy just to be free of that place of darkness and to be back in the light.

By the halfway mark of the 90 minute block, Meg was about ready to fall asleep, but had managed to at least look like she had been paying perfect attention to the teacher. Alice had easily led the way to the table that the others were seated at for lunch. Meg leaned on Edward's shoulder as he chuckled lightly at her thoughts about her class.

"It was really all that boring?" He asked his amber eyes dancing with a bit mischief.

"Yes. You could have warned me at least that I would know everything we're reading."

"Well, teachers seem to like to focus on the classics"

Meg dropped her voice to where only the other vampires would be able to hear. "It's not a classic if you were alive when it was written."

"You have to give her that, Edward." Jasper said from across the table, a small smile creeping onto his pained face since he was just about the same age as Meg. Alice smiled brightly up at him. It appeared that even she hadn't realized that he was paying attention to what the other couple was saying.

Edward nodded. "Alright then, but on that account much of the last 300 years is not 'classic' by Carlisle's standing."

"Fair enough."

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

"So, where is this Shakespeare that you spoke of before?" Meg asked Alice on the way back to the boredom of American Lit.

Alice skipped over to a black and white poster tapped onto the wall, and smiled up at Meg smugly. "I found our extracurricular activity." The poster was rather simple, but it announced that the drama department would be having auditions for the winter prediction of 'William Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream_' this Friday after school. Smaller print at the bottom showed a reminder that by October every student needed to be a part of an after school activity and that if acting was not you field they also needed help building sets, props, and they needed as many stage hands as they could get. No experience necessary.

"Alice, you're a genius!" A sly smile crossed Meg's face. "Think we can get the boys to join too?"

"Do they really have a choice?"

"Nope."

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

Meg had been expecting Edward to start complaining the moment she and Alice came up to him and Jasper in the hall before fourth block, the last class of the day (thankfully), but he was looking at the ground as if the tile at his feet was a puzzle that refused to fit together right. Meg stepped forward and took one of Edward's hands in hers. "What's wrong?" She whispered. He simply shook his head. "Is it Victoria?" That was really the only thing that she could think of that would upset him at the moment, but he once again shook his head. _**'Say something! You're starting to scare me.'**_ She all but demanded.

"I found another." Edward said as he absentmindedly started to mess with a loose strand of Meg's golden hair with his free hand.

"Another singer?" She asked growing more concerned.

"No. Another person's whose mind I can't read."


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this chapter took longer than I wanted it too, but it's really, really long! I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!!

**Chapter 5 – All the World is a Stage**

Meg watched Edward as he sat like a statue on the couch in the living room. They had only been home for twenty minutes and he had been sitting still there the whole time, hardly breathing, silent, and eyes on the ground. She pondered how different she must have looked when she had been pacing after her little chat with Victoria back in Forks. Meg sighed and looked over to where Alice was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them in concentration as she peered into the future.

"When is he going to stop this?" Meg asked.

By the time that Alice had pulled herself back to the present, Edward was at Meg's side. "I'm sorry that I'm worrying you, but I'm just…. the only other time that this has happened was with Bella."

"Oh." Meg was worried that it might have caused Edward to second guess his choice three years ago.

"Never." Edward said looking down at her, a fire of certainty burning in his bright amber eyes. "It's just that Alice and I are usually the early warning system, in a manner of speaking. I feel like I may be endangering the family if I can't tell if he is figuring out what we are."

"I don't see anything that should be troublesome in the near future. I can't get pass the play auditions though."

"What?" Meg asked.

"Why?" Edward questioned at the same time.

"He's trying out for Bottom, you know the actor that gets a donkey's head? Well, anyways I'm hitting a block because the part hasn't been decided yet." Alice explained.

"Meg, Alice, I know you want to join the drama department, but I don't think it would be wise at the moment…" Edward said after a moment.

"But I'll be able to see if trouble it coming!" Alice protested.

"Plus, wouldn't it be better to show him what normal teens we really are, so the word 'vampire' doesn't even enter his closed mind?" Meg asked, her quick mind working seamlessly.

"If you don't come with us, we're just going to go on our own and you'll have to find a different extracurricular activity." Alice said slyly with absolute certainty.

Edward sighed. "There's no winning with you two, is there?"

"Nope." Both of them replied with bright smiles.

"You're a bad influence on Alice." Edward said hugging Meg.

"How so?" Meg couldn't see how on earth _she_, of all people, was a 'bad influence on Alice.'

"She used to by on my side, now she's on yours." He explained.

"I don't see how that's a bad thing." Alice said with a slight smirk.

**-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-**

It seemed to Meg that the rest of the week dragged on far longer than normal. Perhaps it was because she was so bored at school that her mind often wondered off to why Edward couldn't read that boy's mind or if Edward was still upset about it or if Edward was actually going to try his best to get a part in the play since Alice had decided to help with costumes and Jasper was going to help with lighting that way he wasn't near that many people. About a day of her thoughts doing this Edward had stopped her in the hall after they had left second block and kissed her lightly.

"What was that for?" She asked a little confused.

"You haven't changed at all." He replied smiling down at her crookedly.

She couldn't help but smile up at him, getting lost for a moment until Alice came up behind them, smiling knowingly. It was clear that she had known that they were going to do that. "I hate to do this," The little vampire said looking up at them and taking Meg's arm. "But we all have to get to class or we'll be in trouble."

Edward placed his hand on Meg's cheek and she held it there for a moment before kissing his palm, and then reluctantly going with Alice to American Lit. _**'I love you.'**_ Meg thought clearly as she walked away. _**'Great. Now, I'm never going to be able to focus on anything!'**_ She could have sworn that she heard a faint chuckle from behind them that sounded like it belonged to Edward.

Finally, after a century of a few hours, school was over and it was time to go to the auditorium for the auditions. Alice happily skipped beside Jasper as they entered and headed down to the front. Since they had already checked with the drama director and knew what they were doing. Edward and Meg hung back and went to go find seats with the others who where auditioning.

"Now, what play is this again?" Edward asked mischievously. Meg gave him a look that told him to be serious. "Oh, right." He took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the upper part of the curtain on stage right. "What light from yonder window breaks?" The words dripped like honey from his mouth and several of the girls that were seating close enough to hear turned to look.

Meg poked his side. "Edward."

He sighed dramatically, "Oh, she speaks! Speak again bright angel." His eyes never left the spot his had picked to stare at.

'_**You're not getting out of this.'**_ She warned.

"Still wrong?" He asked looking down at her as if he really hadn't known. "Do I get another chance?" She looked up at him skeptically. He cleared his throat this time. "Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow!" He smirked. She glared. "Well, then, perhaps: Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love."

The whispers were starting to grow as: "Did you hear him?" "Who knew that Cullen would actually be good." "Are you kidding?! Didn't you _hear_ him?! His _is_ perfect!" "I am soooo screwed." "If she is half as good, we're all screwed." "I don't care. I've got two leads under my belt and I'm not letting the new kid chance that."

'_**That's got to be driving you crazy.'**_

"'There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.' Besides, I thought I'd have you swooning after that Hamlet quote." Edward honestly sounded disappointed.

"That first one wasn't a Hamlet quote. Polonius said it." Meg replied smirking.

"It was in a letter that Hamlet wrote. It counts. I made up for it with the second one didn't I?" He gave her a pitiful look that would have broken the heart of a puppy that had been sitting in the rain for a few hours. Meg pressed her lips into a thin line to stop herself from smiling as she took a seat somewhere in the middle of the fifth row.

"Lady, shall I lie in your lap?" Edward asked as he sat down beside her.

"No, my lord." She couldn't stop herself from answering in a shocked manner.

"I mean, my head upon your lap?"

"Ay, my lord."

"Did you think I meant country matters?"

Meg leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. _**'Ay, my lord.'**_

"Alright!" A short woman with salt and pepper hair called out over the assembled students. "This looks like about everyone that we're going to get. For those of you that don't know, I'm Mrs.____, the drama director. So, here is what I need from all of you." She held up a pile of papers. "Each of you needs to fill out one of theses and we'll start try-outs once that's taken care of. So come down here and get one and then go out of in the hall. We'll call you back in groups. If anyone wants to work backstage rather than act and you haven't spoken to me, stay in here."

After moving through the line, Edward and Meg headed outside. "Good luck!" Alice chirped with a small wave from her perch on the stage as they walked passed her. They found a spot in the hall and sat down with their backs to the wall. It didn't take them long to get the paper filled out, it was just general things; what part do you want, when will you not be available for practice, do you have any experience in theater, etc. etc. As they were heading back to sit down again after turning in their papers a thin boy with light brown hair and pale blue eyes that was standing in a small cluster of teens called out to them, "Hey, Cullen!"

They both turned more out of habit than anything. Edward tensed a little bit and Meg had to force herself not to look up at him concerned, the humans probably didn't even realize that his perfect looking smile was forced at the moment. "Hello, Heath." Edward said evenly.

"I hadn't figured to you for a drama kid. You look more like the sport types. Both of you." He said taking a step away from his little group and toward them.

"Hardly." Meg replied so Edward didn't have to right away. _**'Is this him? The one that you can't hear his thoughts?'**_

"I don't think you've met Meg yet." He said with a more natural smile. "I have a bad habit of indulging her love of Shakespeare."

"Oh, Megara, isn't the sporty type at all, Heath. She knows everything in our English class." One of the girls of the group stepped up as well. Meg recognized the girl with the strawberry blond hair from her and Alice's American Lit. "Hi." She added as an afterthought.

"Meg." She and Edward corrected together, but it did not seem that anyone noticed their comment.

"Hello, Erica." Meg replied with her own forced smile. Meg hadn't really paid attention to many of the people in her class, she couldn't recall much about this girl other than her name, but she had decided that she didn't like her regardless of if she had a real reason or not at the moment.

There was an awkward silence for the moment, and than Erica spoke up again, "I hope that I'm not prying too much," Every girl that was within hearing distance was now hanging onto her every word because Erica was the first person to try and get more than a little information out of one of the Cullens. Of course on the first day of school when the teachers had made them introduce themselves they had all gave their fake histories, but that had only left the whole student body wanting to know more. The gossip loving students had let them alone for a week and now it was time to get some real information. "But isn't it a little weird to be dating your brother?"

"He's _not_ my brother." Meg said evenly with just the slightest bit of emphasis on 'not'.

"I'm _not_ her brother." Edward said at the same time as Meg with the same tone.

"But didn't Dr. and Mrs. Cullen adopt you both?" Heath asked. His voice was clearly just out of curiosity, not the slight teasing that Erica was getting at.

"No. Carlisle is my brother. Making Esme my sister-in-law." Meg clarified slight annoyed.

"So, you're dating your nephew?" A girl with dishwater blonde hair stepped up next to Erica acting as back up. She was careful to keep her eyes focused on anything other than Edward.

Edward smiled down at her charmingly. "Technically, I'm not related to them at all. As Heath pointed out, Carlisle and Esme adopted me." The girl had looked up as Edward addressed her question. She nodded rather dumbly and took a few steps back into the group, blushing deeply.

"Well, now that that is sorted out," Heath said an air of authority to the rest of the surrounding students. "I think we should get back to our papers or there won't be any actors for this production."

Edward nodded to him, almost in thanks, and then he and Meg headed back over to where they had been sitting. "I should its best that this was addressed now rather than later."

"Perhaps." Meg replied. Her mind was still reeling with angry thoughts about was had just happened.

"It will be like this every time we switch schools." Edward whispered to her, kissing her temple.

"Sorry…" '_**About my thoughts right now.'**_

"Don't be." He chuckled softly. "There are some good ones. Oh, and, you were right. Heath is the one that I can't hear."


End file.
